BARBIE Star America Ferrera Has Been Cast As Ranger Morales In WHAT IF...? Season 3

BARBIE Star America Ferrera Has Been Cast As Ranger Morales In WHAT IF...? Season 3

What If...?'s creative team has confirmed that Barbie star America Ferrera will play Ranger Morales in the show's upcoming third season, but does she have any connection to a certain wall-crawling hero?

By JoshWilding - Jan 07, 2024 04:01 AM EST
Filed Under: What If
Source: ComicBook.com (via Toonado.com)

Shortly before What If...? season 2 concluded last month, a clip from the show's upcoming third season found its way online offering a first look at a team-up between Red Guardian and Bucky Barnes, a.k.a. The Winter Soldier. 

They crossed paths with Bill Foster - who appeared to be a regular S.H.I.E.L.D. agent in this reality - and were then pursued by him and a character identified only as "Ranger Morales." You can check out the extended sneak peek by clicking here

With "Morales" as a surname, fans were quick to speculate that the Ranger might be related to Miles Morales/Spider-Man to start doing the rounds online. Talking to ComicBook.com (via Toonado.com), What If...? writer and producer Matthew Chauncey was quick to debunk the admittedly exciting notion. 

"Just for the clickbait; her last name's Morales, people got very excited about that," he said before adding that she's "almost an original character" played by Barbie star America Ferrera.

The show's former Head Writer, A.C. Bradley, then chimed in to say, "[America's] great. I'm so glad she is getting her flowers when it comes to Barbie, because - I shouldn't say this, but hey, I no longer work at Marvel - Barbie was my favorite movie of the year, my favorite superhero movie, because Barbie's a hero. And, so is America."

"That was the best. So, we're so happy that she was willing to come in, and do this part in this random episode of What If...?. She was so lovely about it."

In the comic books, there is an Agent Morales who is better known as S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Alisande Morales. A relatively obscure creation who first appeared in Christopher Priest and Bart Sears' Captain America and the Falcon #1 in 2004, she was tasked with investigating someone who was impersonating Steve Rogers. 

Morales later battled the Purifiers and has appeared sporadically since, including in the Marvel's Avengers video game. It's unclear whether this means we could eventually see Ferrera play the character in a live-action project such as next year's Captain America: Brave New World

Addressing her departure from Marvel Studios, Bradley - who penned this season 3 episode with the Red Guardian and Bucky - recently said, "I ended The Watcher and Peggy relationship in a place I'm very proud of, and I'm excited to see where the show goes as a viewer. But I will say that the Season 3 episode is probably my absolute favorite episode I've ever written for Marvel. And not just because it features Alexei, who my cat is named after."

All episodes of What If...? season 1 and season 2 are now streaming on Disney+.

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JustAWaffle
JustAWaffle - 1/7/2024, 4:19 AM
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 1/7/2024, 4:50 AM
@JustAWaffle - Kahhori and Ranger Morales are my all time favorite Marvel characters ever. So glad they got adapted in What If.

Kahhori is such a good villain. Don't know why she was helping Peggy Carter out at the end, though.
vectorsigma
vectorsigma - 1/7/2024, 4:59 AM
@ObserverIO - i was waiting for their shows ever since i held their comic debuts
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 1/7/2024, 6:16 AM
@vectorsigma - I got a first appearance Kahhori on my wall, CGC graded 11.11!
Rokhorn
Rokhorn - 1/7/2024, 9:16 AM
@ObserverIO - interesting since CGC's rating stops at 10, the highest grade they give.
From the CGC website.
Gem Mint
10 The highest grade assigned. The collectible must have no evidence of any manufacturing or handling defects.
Apophis71
Apophis71 - 1/7/2024, 9:38 AM
@JustAWaffle - Just basicaly giving Bill Foster his own Maria Hill by creating an original character, not the huge deal some are trying to make out of it. I'm not a fan realy of the what if's, they've been OK for me but very few I would call great and been some stinkers esp during season one. Second season I feel had a more consistant level in terms of quality but with that meant non were as good as the best of couple of the first but non were terrible either so average better but less stands out from it.
JustAWaffle
JustAWaffle - 1/7/2024, 9:41 AM
@Apophis71 - I feel the same way.

My biggest gripe overall has been the animation and faces. They’re off putting to me. But that’s super tertiary.
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 1/7/2024, 10:49 AM
@Rokhorn -

That means minter than mint. So new it hasn't even been printed yet. Mint unprinted condition. 11.11.
Repian
Repian - 1/7/2024, 4:29 AM
What if... Peter's parents were agents of Shield and Doc Ock was a villain similar to a 007 villain voiced by Alfred Molina? The MCU's Doc Ock could be the murderer of Peter's parents.
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 1/7/2024, 4:46 AM
@Repian - Peter's parents were agents. And Doc Ock was basically a James bond villain. The Master Planner story he's got that underwater bade like in Octopussy. Shit! Doctor Octopussy!
Slotherin
Slotherin - 1/7/2024, 8:02 AM
@ObserverIO - one of many reasons I loved Spectacular Spider-Man
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 1/7/2024, 10:44 AM
@Slotherin - Yeah, they did a good job with that.
Kurban
Kurban - 1/7/2024, 4:57 AM
They need to cancel these. Even in the “good” episodes, the 28 minute format has been objectively terrible.
lazlodaytona
lazlodaytona - 1/7/2024, 5:12 AM
@Kurban - due noted
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 1/7/2024, 5:02 AM
''Barbie's a hero. And, so is America.''

Speaking of great America-named people, why not make a What If with Isaiah Bradley's Captain America. That'd be much more interesting to have in this than Ranger Morales.
lazlodaytona
lazlodaytona - 1/7/2024, 5:13 AM
@bkmeijer1 - Yes. THIS
KennKathleen
KennKathleen - 1/7/2024, 7:23 AM
@bkmeijer1 - Damn you BK! Stop making goshdarn sense!!! We gotta keep the pandering going until we start giving out venti matcha green tea Frappuccino's with the cold foam toppings and $50 gift cards to petco for every purchase of this gender-swapped 💩 show!!!







Apophis71
Apophis71 - 1/7/2024, 8:00 AM
@bkmeijer1 - Never mind a what if, think they could easily do a stories from the vault anthology series canon to the sacred timeline hinted at but never covered fully and indeed previously unknown but which wouldn't conflict with canon. Bunch of them out there such as the Isaiah Bradley one and stories of Hank and Janet whilst working for the government as Antman and Wasp. Could for instance when the time is optimal to do so include a WWII story featuring Cap fighting alonside Wolverine and the Howling commandos for instance and stories from the early formation of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Slotherin
Slotherin - 1/7/2024, 8:03 AM
@Apophis71 - we're cooking now
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 1/7/2024, 8:35 AM
@Apophis71 - being wanting that for a long time. A couple of episodes from this season already felt like with a few small tweaks, they could've fit in with the Sacred Timeline.

What If is probably gonna end when the Multiverse Saga does, so another animated anthology show could take it's place. Journey into Mystery, Tales to Astonish, Amazing Fantasy, etc. There's so much to pick from.
Apophis71
Apophis71 - 1/7/2024, 8:51 AM
@bkmeijer1 - I'll be honest, there was a point I was hoping Agatha's show would be an anthology series of her telling at least loose Canon Werewolf by Night type stories whilst in the personna Wanda left her in. At least for the first few episodes at to similarly have a TV show type way of it as WandaVision (just an Elvira presents or Tale from the cryptkeeper type thing instead of sitcom) whilst the mind control started to crack before getting into a story of her old coven showing up and/or finding the real MCU Wiccan and Speed and having a redemption arc etc.
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 1/7/2024, 9:34 AM
@Apophis71 - the original name, 'House of Harkness', reminded me a lot of the tv show Hammer House of Horror and as such immediately thought it could be a horror anthology as well.

Much rather get a horror anthology than just a show about Agatha. And with the 'Darkhold Diaries' subtitle, I guess it still could be, but with stories from the Darkhold.
Vigor
Vigor - 1/7/2024, 9:45 AM
@Apophis71 - what? I want that so bad now
McMurdo
McMurdo - 1/7/2024, 5:50 AM
She better have a cock.
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 1/7/2024, 6:19 AM
@McMurdo - ...he yelled while pressing play on a porn video.
Slotherin
Slotherin - 1/7/2024, 8:04 AM
@ObserverIO -
@McMurdo -
WhatIfRickJames
WhatIfRickJames - 1/7/2024, 6:25 AM
Thank god this voice casting has been revealed. There were rumblings it could have been someone else
KennKathleen
KennKathleen - 1/7/2024, 7:32 AM
Shit like this is why we beat up our sisters when we were kids in the 80s.

Do you know how cool this show could be if they got all these piss-brained, goo fluids, out of the room???

I never went to MARVEL to see a female Captain America. I don't want to see any of this 💩.

It isn't hard to figure out why this shit ain't selling.

I don't go to a NFL game to see WFL players. If you are going to replace NFL players with WFL players, it doesn't make me accept them. It makes me stop watching 🏈. Figure this 💩 out. Damn!

Slotherin
Slotherin - 1/7/2024, 8:07 AM
@KennKathleen - I definitely think there's some good What Ifs to do about Steve Rogers.
With that said, considering this show is all What Ifs, the replacement notion doesn't track.
Apophis71
Apophis71 - 1/7/2024, 9:27 AM
@Slotherin - Yup, I mean a What if is the exact sort of place where someone else getting a power should be expected not rejected like what if during the accident Betty Ross became the Hulk and saved Banner instead of the other way around, and could make for an interesting altered dynamic if her Dad was tracking down his daughter instead of Bruce.

That said do question making them overly interconnected and too much on specific What if 'variants' as if they want to do this much about Cpt Carter (and I LIKE that character) just give her a spinoff like they are the Zombies spinoff.

In regard to Cap however I'm sure there could be fun to be had if he was transported off Earth instead of or along with Red Skull at the end of his origin film. That or a What If Steve was apprehended by the TVA story when he was returning the Infinity Stones.

Fun side point with the sport analogy however, I had given up watching football (soccer) outside of the World cup and Euro's as had become increasingly boring and/or frustrating. However now there is coverage of Womens football got interesed in watching those game as way more fun as they give it their all. Less of the annoying dives and over acting a fake injury from a foul but most importantly never stop trying to score goals by both sides even if the game has effectively already been won. Men's football too oft have teams playing safe for a draw or just time wasting a LOT once ahead on the scoreboard. The moral of that analagy, change can be a benefit to viewers if the result is good/better to watch which in comics or CBM's means if the story is well written shouldn't matter the race or gender even if it a change from the source as long as the result is entertaining (and a character overused for 60yrs can easily get stale).
Slotherin
Slotherin - 1/7/2024, 12:39 PM
@Apophis71 - agreed. I actually do prefer the unconnected potentials in What If and would prefer to not linger too long on any concept.

Also Betty becoming a Hulk and having Ross chasing after her would be a fun one, as would Steve being transported off-world either with or in place of Red Skull.
KennKathleen
KennKathleen - 1/7/2024, 1:15 PM
@Apophis71 - I respect that. Change is cool when it's original. The problem happens when the trope is overused. And it's a clear MARVEL formula:


marvel72
marvel72 - 1/7/2024, 8:15 AM
Could be a gender swap Miles, some of you guys in here wouldn't have a problem with that?
BobbyDrake
BobbyDrake - 1/7/2024, 8:28 AM
@marvel72 - What if Miles Morales identifies as female???
marvel72
marvel72 - 1/7/2024, 11:32 AM
@BobbyDrake - Doesn't make him female.

I just want to see the handful of Miles fans lose their shit.
Slotherin
Slotherin - 1/7/2024, 12:33 PM
@marvel72 - I don't care enough to have a problem with it.
gtabreaker
gtabreaker - 1/7/2024, 8:32 AM
TheNewYorker
TheNewYorker - 1/7/2024, 8:38 AM
Three? Shit, I haven’t even finished season one yet 🤦‍♂️
Vigor
Vigor - 1/7/2024, 9:47 AM
@TheNewYorker - @TheNewYorker - oh nooooes. They should totally pause producing content until you catch up 🙃

Just pulling your chain. I like you because you're a fellow new yorker
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